Flowers For You
by A.Mellifluous.Secret
Summary: This is where she was going to die. Alone. In the dead of night. Never thanking her uncle. Or that old man with the red tengu mask who helped her carry her things back home earlier that morning... Sabito X OC
1. Chapter 1- Bluebell ブルーベル

**Author's Note: I do not own Kimetsu no Yaiba nor the characters. I do own the OCs here. **

_**Bluebells represent gratitude. **_

_This is where she was going to die. Alone. In the dead of night. Never thanking her uncle. Or that old man with the red tengu mask who helped her carry her things back home earlier that morning. _

Her trembling knees threatened to buckle underneath her. Her entire body shook as she was gripped with fear. Bile raised to her throat. The stench of blood made her stomach churn. Her eyes drawn to red.

Red eyes, red blood spilling from its hands and mouth. A bloodied mouth stretched into a grin. She pressed herself further into the trunk of the tree. Tears welled up her eyes. Fear gripped her from running but it made her shake.

"A little girl," it drawled. Its scratchy voice made her hairs stand pin-straight. He took a deep inhale. "Your scent is rather distracting. But, so young… the freshness of youth must be delicious." The creature licked its lips. The unnaturally long tongue smeared blood around its lips. It flashed her sharp teeth as his face twisted into a sinister grin.

Her legs gave way. She dropped to the ground. Her breaths became quicker and shorter. The monster cackled.

_Please, please God,_ she begged as the monster stepped toward her. _Please, I will no longer be a burden. I will help others… I will help the burdened to the best of my abilities if you let me live-_

The monster's howl pierced through the air. The hungry gaze locked on to her as he rushed to her with an impossible speed. His arms outstretched to grasp her in his clutches. She curled herself into a ball, shutting her eyes. Waiting for the pain of sharp nails and teeth ripping through her and for the sound of her own flesh ripping but there was a _whoosh _through the air.

The monster howled. She flinched, muscle tensing but she didn't feel any pain or death. She was still alive! Her trembling hands gripped her still intact body. The monster wailed. _In pain_, She threw her eyes open.

White was the first thing she saw. A white haori swayed in front of her. A katana blade shone in the moonlight. A pale hand gripped its hilt tightly. Shakily, she sat up to study the figure in front of her better.

Peach coloured hair covered the tops of the shoulders of the white haori. They rose and fell steadily, unafraid of the monster that was going to eat devour her to an unrecognisable lump of flesh like it was chewing up minutes ago. Her saviour was standing bravely between her and this monster.

The monster hunched over. His arms cut off above the elbow swung in front of him. Blood gushing down, painting the ground bright crimson. The red eyes narrowed menacingly at the figure in front of her. Her breath hitched when smoke erupted from the monster's freshly cut arms. It smelled of burning flesh. Her stomach churned. Its arms were growing back, she concluded. Bile rose to her throat again. This wasn't a monster… it was a demon from hell.

"Run," her saviour said. She blinked in surprise.

"W-What?" She stuttered. Her fear even made her teeth chatter.

"Run," he said again. His gaze never straying from the demon. The bloodthirsty gaze of the monster intensified causing her to flinch. Her saviour remained in front of her unwavering. "Run while I'm distracting him."

"B-But, I can't just leave yo-" She stumbled again. The demon cursed her saviour, who remained unflinching.

The monster launched itself to their direction. Suddenly, the figure in front of her vanished. He appeared in her vision again, right in front of the demon. He swung his katana and leapt into the air. The demon wailed in pain from his arms being severed off again but this time a slash cut through one shoulder to its hip.

Her saviour skidded to a halt for a second before vanishing again. He reappeared behind the demon, sword held high to deliver strike to the neck, but the demon launched himself to the air. The sword cut the demon's leg deeply but with a spin, the demon's other leg slammed into her saviour, flinging him to her right. He crashed to the ground. She gasped from the loud thud.

She watched as he bowed over the ground heaving. His shoulders wracked, trying to gather the wind that was knocked out of him. The attack was bound to have broken ribs. Maybe even give him a concussion. He struggled to get up. Bloodshot eyes preyed at the recovering boy. The demon was going to attack her weakened hero. Time slowed as her vision narrowed on the boy.

_Help, help, _a small voice echoed into her mind. _Help, help, help him! _It crescendoed, getting louder by the second. She willed her body to move but it remained still.

_Help him! You placed him in this situation to begin with. You were supposed to stay out of trouble! _Her subconscious screamed at her. _That's why uncle left-_ An idea flashed in her mind. Her hand twitched when she saw the demon stagger to the boy, who was still trying to get up.

"Run!" Her saviour's strangled voice reached her ears.

_Move, move, _she willed herself again. Plan in mind, her body moved to action. A twitch in her foot, then a step. After a second which felt like an eternity, she was running to the boy. She fumbled with her pouch. She unlatched the bag slung across her body. She fished out a small clay pot. She skidded into a halt in front of the boy. The boy's shout for her to run drowning out from the rush of blood in her ears.

The bloodshot eyes struck her very core. The demon inched closer and closer. She opened the pot and took its contents into her palm. She tightened her fist filled with powder and scrambled to place back her pot into her bag, contents spilling inside it. She paid it no heed since the demon was a foot before her. The wounds slowly stopping its bleeding. The demon walked faster to them. With a shuddering breath, she took a deep inhale. The demon quickly moves into her range. She moved her hand to her mouth. The grey-black powder in the palm of her hand. She blew with all her might, expelling the powder everywhere.

The demon sputtered inside the powder cloud. Coughing and wheezing, it halted, curling its shoulder forward. Immediately, she stooped over her hero and raised him up. She slung his arm over her shoulder. Bearing weight to her side, she quickly walked them away from the demon.

"I told you to run," he said to her as she quickened their pace down the dirt road. "I would've been fine-"

"I can't just leave you," she said through her gritted teeth. She tried to hold back all her trembles, focusing on helping him down the road.

"You damn brats, I'll kill you both," the demon shrieked from behind them. It coughed and wheezed but slowly gained pace behind them. She felt her hairs raise again. The bloodlust was creeping up on them. Darkness was starting to cloud her vision yet again.

She felt the front of her shoe hit a rock then she met the ground with a thud, bringing down the boy with her. She groaned quietly at the stinging pain coming from her scraped knees. The boy beside her got up quickly but staggered a bit.

He stood tall, raising his katana with both hands. The demon grew closer. Wounds closing up completely. The boy took a deep breath, in and out. Breathing deeply, he kept his sword steady as the demon launched forward to them. She recoiled back again. She closed her eyes. She was all out of ideas.

_Thud. _

She opened her eyes just as the head of the demon rolled to the side, slowly deteriorating. The boy. Did he save her again? Her eyes shifted to her saviour. He remained in the same spot. The body of the demon crumpled to the ground, disintegrating to black flecks then nothing. A figure stood tall behind it. Katana dripping with blood.

It was over. She slumped over the ground. Her hands dug into the dirt. She was made it miraculously. To live another day. Her bones grew heavier. The black spots in her vision darkened.

"Hey, are you okay?" The boy with the white haori appeared beside her.

"Y-Yeah…" slipped from her lips. She glanced up at him. Grey piercing eyes met her own. The firm, unwavering gaze made the knot in her chest loosen. She took in his face for a brief moment. Strong features, cool eyes, and… a scar stretched across his right cheek. The dirtied white haori hung over yellow and green geometrical patterned rising sun behind him made his unusual coloured-and-cut hair glisten.

_So this was her saviour… _"Peach H—," she whisperedbefore she felt herself tilt to the side. Gravity pulled at her heavy bones. Blackness consumed her.

—

Vibrations from mumbled words met her ears. Light streamed over her closed eyes. She turned her head away from the light, pressing the side of face against the soft futon below her. She sighed at the softness, nuzzling deeper into the bed. The murmurs quieted for a moment then started all over again. Disturbing her sleep, she furrowed her brows.

Daisuke oji-san must have come back early from his two month assignment… which he left for four days ago. Her breath hitched. Eyes snapping open, her heart almost stopped beating in her chest. She wasn't in her house. She was in an unknown place and the muffled voices suggested that she was with people, unknown people.

_Never NEVER go with strangers to a secondary location, _her uncle's voice stressed in her sub-conscience. She groaned lightly. This was the situation she was in.

The muffled voices silenced once more. Panicked, she remained perfectly still. If she was going to get out of here, she had to not draw attention to herself. At the time when they left, she was going to bolt up and out of the door.

The floorboards creaked under weight from the other side of the house. She screwed her eyes shut, pretending to sleep. Seconds went by but to her it felt like hours. The voices came back, whispering to each other before the door was slid open. The sound of the door closing made her flinch. Her heart rate went up, pumping adrenaline through her sleepy body. She tightened the hands beside her pillow.

The few minutes passed by again. The air stood still. The other inhabitants in the house seemed to have really left. Her tense shoulders loosened. This might be the perfect time to escape. Feeling that she was safe, she opened her eyes.

A red face creature stared down at her with black pupils with white surrounding it. "You're awake," a deep voice said. The mouth of the red face didn't move. It took her a split second to process whatever was in front of her. A tingle of fear ran down her spine before a shriek erupted from her throat.

"Aaahh!" She shouted, terrified. She sprung back, blankets tangled around her. She held her hands up, readying to defend herself. Her hands shook in the air. She fisted them to hide the trembling.

"Normally, people get frightened when they first met me. Not the second time," a deep voice said again. The red face's mouth didn't move. It was like the voice was coming from… underneath. A mask. She studied the figure again.

A tengu mask was tied to his face, covering any form of human features. Silvery white hair stood at the top of his head. A sliver of forehead peeked above the mask reaching the beginnings of a receding hairline. Underneath, lightly tanned flesh of the sides of his jaw and neck showed through. He donned a blue and white jinbei styled kimono. The blue sleeves pressed into his black pants as he rested his elbows on his thighs. Crouched down, he gazed at her at the same level. The red tengu mask is unmistakable.

"You're…" She trailed off. It was the old man who helped her carry sacks of rice to the front of her house. A loud _bang _made her jump out of her skin.

"Urokodaki-san, is everything alright?" A voice asked urgently at the other end of the small house. She shifted her gaze to the now opened door. The white haori fluttered behind him. Peach coloured hair laid on the white clad shoulders.

The memories of the night came flooding back. A demon that was eating a mangled person on the road. Red eyes and lips. A hungry grin as bloodied hands about to seize her, kill her. A peach haired boy between her and the demon. He fought the demon before being tossed to the ground. Standing in between him and the bloodthirsty demon. Blowing the concoction of powders given to her by her uncle in case of emergencies. Helping the peached hair boy down the road. Tripping over a rock. When looking back at the demon, its head was cut clean off. The peach coloured boy caught her attention again before black.

She was unable to hold herself back before blurting out, "You're…. The Momo Head."

—

"I'm Sasaki Hana," she introduced herself, bowing her head to those who housed her for the night. After the awkward event of her getting scared by Urokodaki-san then calling her other saviour "Momo Head," they sat around the boiling miso broth.

She received the bowl of broth Urokodaki-san handed her with a small thank you. With a collective "Itadakimasu," his apprentices, Sabito— "Momo Head" and Giyu— another boy her age with black hair and dark blue eyes, dug into their breakfast. They downed the broth with such vigour it made Hana's mouth water.

Silence hung over the four as they ate but Urokodaki-san made no move to eat himself. He folded his hands over his lap. Even if she couldn't see his actual eyes, Hana was sure that he was watching his two apprentices eat. After everyone began eating, Hana raised the wooden bowl to her lips. The broth was bland but the warmth of the soup satisfied her enough. In a matter of seconds, Hana finished her miso soup, full. She gave a light content sigh.

"What were you doing out there in the middle of the night?" Urokodaki said, bluntly. Hana shied her gaze to the floor. She placed the empty wooden bowl to her side.

"I… I went out looking for this herb at the foot of this mountain. I got carried away and finished when the sun was setting. When I was walking on the main road going back into town, I noticed blood. I followed it thinking that someone might have had a cut or something and needed help. Then, I found…" she trailed off. They knew that she found. A hungry demon and a mutilated, half eaten body, which they buried at the side of the road.

"It was a good thing Sabito found you," Urokodaki declared. Gripping the pale purple fabric of her kimono skirt, she shivered. A chill radiated through her body. If he had found her moments after, she would've ended up like the unfortunate soul the demon was devouring. With a mangled face like that, it would be a miracle for someone to confirm her identity and tell her uncle. Hana shook her head to disperse the depressing thoughts.

"I always heard stories of demons that prey on people when night fell. But I didn't think they would be true," Hana said, quietly. But here she was now, alive. Will be able to greet her uncle once he gets back. She lifted her gaze to Sabito sitting across from her.

"Thank you so much, Sabito-san." She scooted back, getting enough space away from the fire place. She pressed her hands, palms down to the wooden floor. She bowed her upper body. Her forehead was inches away from the floor.

"And thank you, Urokodaki-san. Thank you both so much," she said. Tears of gratitude welled in her eyes. She kept them from rolling down her face.

"That's not necessary," Sabito stated, surprising Hana. She peeked up to Sabito, startled.

"B-But you saved-" Hana stammered at the peach haired boy. He sighed.

"You don't have to thank me. Urokodaki-san killed the demon," Sabito rubbed the back of his head. He didn't met her eyes. Hana gaped at him. She shifted her gaze to Urokodaki and Giyuu-san who remained impassive. She bowed her head again. Awkward seconds went by again. She fidgeted with her fingers before tucking them away from view.

"Come, I'll bring you back to town," Urokodaki announced to her. He stood quickly. She scrambled to follow. She moved to grab her bowl. "Leave it. Come." She hesitated but did was as instructed. Sabito and Giyu wordlessly followed Urokodaki-san out of the house. Hana trailed behind them. Sabito pressed a hand to his side gently. Giyu shot him a worried look from the corner of his eye. After being flung to the ground last night, he must have had some injuries. Sabito continued out the door, ignoring his friend's concern. They departed to the woods. Hana's eyes lingered at their backs for a moment before walking to Urokodaki.

—-

The journey going into town was quiet. Urokodaki-san was always ahead of Hana by a number of steps. She strolled behind him. It was only four days since her uncle left and she already got herself into a near-death experience. She spent hours in Urokodaki-san's house who even treated her to breakfast and was escorting her home. Obaa-san undoubtedly was worried. Hana imagined the old lady pacing the store at the late hours after feigning that she was labelling the jars of powders and plants while waiting for her to go home. Almost complete white hair messy from worried fingers. Fingers tapping on her cane as she watched the front of the store.

Hana winced. She worried one person… and managed to have another injured. The image of Sabito pressing a hand to his side flashed in her mind. Since he was able to walk, it wasn't broken ribs. Thank God, Hana sighed. They were most probably bruised but she wasn't certain. She quickened her pace to walk beside Urokodaki-san.

"Urokodaki-san, is Sabito-san alright? He seemed to have been in pain a while ago." Hana kept her pace in time with the older man's. She huffed an exhale. Keeping her pace with Urokodaki-san was rather difficult than she thought. She felt heat slowly make its way up her body from the exertion. The days she spent inside the store filing, reading, and measuring the herbs definitely didn't do her any favours for any normal physical activities.

Urokodaki focused ahead, not once turning it to her. If he actually heard her, Hana didn't know. She struggled to breath, catching her breath to ask was impossible for her in the moment. The silence enveloped over them again. Once they made it to the main road, Urokodaki slowed.

Hana gasped for air beside him.

"I was just hoping if I can do anything for him… Since he saved me after all. I want to help him," Hana said, trying to regulate her heavy breathing. Urokodaki displayed no emotion at all.

"Bruised ribs." Hana straightened from his blunt words. She was right. Bruised ribs required no complicated cures. They heal by themselves but strong pain would be radiating through his chest whenever he would inhale. She gritted her teeth, thinking of the discomfort he must be feeling. She can't do anything to heal his bruised ribs but she can do something for the pain.

"Urokodaki-san, may I visit again tomorrow? I think I can help with that." Hana flashed him a grin.

"Hana-chan! Where were you?" Obaa-san shouted from behind the girl, who flinched. Looking over her shoulder, Hana tried to plaster a nonchalant smile but nervously sweats bullets when obaa-san gave her a glare. Hana turned to face Urokodaki-san again. She sighed when she saw no one there.

"Hana!" She slumped her shoulders. She was alone for this lecture.

—

"What is she doing here?" Sabito halted in his tracks to stare.

Sabito and Giyu returned to Urokodaki's house from their morning exercises to find Sasaki Hana by the front door, talking animatedly with Urokodaki-san. Strapped to her back was a basket. More like to Urokodaki-san. The old man just nodded to the things she said. Giyu shrugged. Normally no one hangs around the mountain since the air grow uncomfortably thin but here she was. Returned from yesterday. Hana noticed the two behind Urokodaki.

"Ohayo!" She beamed at the two. "I hope you're hungry!" They remained frozen as they watched Urokodaki step into the house with the girl following behind him.

"Hungry?" Sabito reiterated, questioningly. Stomach grumbling, Giyu walked toward the house. Sabito snapped out of his confusion to follow the black haired boy to the house.

"Thank you for the other day," Hana said, shyly. Sabito stared at the plates of onigiri splayed out in front of them. She unraveled five long leaves with four rice-balls in each. Sabito studied the girl at the corner of his eye. She had her gaze on the wooden floor. Her fingers twisting over each other as she waited for someone to eat one of the onigiri. Giyu reached out to grab one. Her eyes darted to Giyu expectantly.

"Itadakimasu," Giyu took a bite. His eyes widened slightly. Sabito watched his friend. Giyu bobbed his head slightly, chewing. A corner of Sabito's lips tugged upward. His friend was not one for words. Hana beamed at him then shifted her gaze to Sabito, who's smirk dropped. Sabito reached his hand to the onigiri closest to him. After taking a bite, the taste of umeboshi danced lightly on his tongue. From the corner of his eye, Hana stared at him, waiting for his reaction. Like a puppy wanting for a treat.

"Is it good?" Hana quietly asked. The wordless question plain on her face. Sabito gulped, not knowing what to do. He settled with a nod before taking another big bite. Hana smiled from across him.

"Thank goodness," Hana sighed. Giyu finished his last bite and took another from a new onigiri. His eyes shone as he chewed excitedly.

"Giyu-san, do you like sha-ke?" Hana giggled.

Giyu continued his chewing. With half-lidded eyes, he nodded his reply. Her grin stretched wider.

"Why don't you eat as well, Hana?" Urokodaki's deep voice hummed. The two boys' eyes shot to her. Hana shook her head.

"This is for you. Not m—" Hana's voice died down when the stares continued. She took a rice-ball from the leaf plate.

"Itadakimasu," Hana said softly before taking a bite. It was good, thought relieved. Sabito discreetly watched the girl eat. She chewed quietly. A smile played on her lips as she watched Giyu take another sha-ke onigiri. Sabito swallowed his final bite and got another rice-ball. She was an unusual one.

"Sabito-san, I have something for you," Hana said. The peach haired boy winced when he helped clean up. Hana opened her bag and fished out a pot.

"This is an ointment that can help ease the pain," she handed it to him. He hesitantly accepted it. Hana brightened when he opened it. "There's nothing that can cure bruised ribs. It needs to heal itself over time. Around three to six weeks. This ointment is topical. You can slather it on your chest when you feel pain."

Sabito looked up from the beige-white cream to Hana surprised that she knew. Hana smiled at him. Awkwardly, Sabito nodded his head.

"Please use it well, Sabito-san."

"Sabito." Hana tilted her head at his reply. Sabito locked eyes with her. "Sabito. You don't need to be formal." Hana was taken aback for a moment but grinned.

"Okay, Sabito." Sabito shifted his gaze away. It was a while since another person beside Urokodaki-san and Giyu called him "Sabito." It came so normally but it sounded foreign to his ears.

From then on, the sound of his name from her lips came naturally.


	2. Chapter 2 - Pink Rose ピンクのバラ

**Author's note: I don't own Kimetsu no Yaiba nor its characters.**

* * *

_**Pink roses represent trust and happiness.**_

Behind the lowered whispers of stories and tales were sharp teeth and a bloody smile. Demons are real. They feast on human flesh. Their wounds heal in a second. Their limbs regenerate quickly. Some demons even have mystical powers and are able to shape shift. The only way to kill them is sunlight and decapitation by special swords, that are slung against a Demon Slayer's hip.

Demon Slayers are the very targets of Demons but battle against them. They do not possess any abilities of demons. They do not have an incredible healing powers or any special abilities of otherworldly power. Demon slayers are taught by trainers in specific locations. Just like how Sabito and Giyu are the apprentices of Urokodaki-san, a Demon Slayer Trainer. A Demon Slayer Trainer educate their apprentices on how to hold their own in combat against a demon and how to kill a demon.

Those apprentices definitely cannot be weak hearted because the demons aren't the only one out to kill them. Their trainers make them train until they drop dead. Hana winced as she watched Urokodaki-san's wooden sword slam against Sabito's chin. In the training field of Urokodaki, Hana reclined against the trunk of a tree, watching Sabito and Giyu spar with Urokodaki.

Sabito fell back. He rolled off the ground right when he met it. He kept his sword in a defensive position before launching himself against Urokodaki-san again. Hana slumped against the tree, exhausted from just seeing Sabito fight. She shifted her gaze to the boy beside her. Relaxing in the shade beside her, Giyu contently ate his sha-ke onigiri that she helped Urokodaki make. Giyuu chewed his onigiri. His black hair escaped from his ponytail and clung to his face. He was no longer sweating buckets like he was when Urokodaki ended their spar. His clothes were covered in dirt from Urokodaki-san's deflects. Tosses to the ground caused Giyu to have a couple cuts, which Hana found tending every time she visited them. It was their routine now.

Hana comes during the later hours of the morning, after helping obaasan open up shop. She walks to Mount Sagiri then to Urokodaki's house to wrap their lunches and makes her way to the training field. She waited for them to finish underneath a tree. Normally, they don't have much time to talk to each other before she has to head back before the sun sets. But she enjoys those times, no matter how short it may be.

"Here Giyu, have mine," Hana handed her onigiri to the boy. He chewed his last bite while staring at her, checking to see if she was serious about giving her other onigiri. She smiled at him when he took it from her hand and bite into it quietly. Giyu was quiet and reserved but when it comes to food, he was unrestrained. Quiet and peaceful like a lake.

_Tak tak tak. Thud. _Hana gazed back at Urokodaki and Sabito's sparring. Sabito sprawled on the ground with Urokodaki stood over him, pointing the sword to Sabito's neck.

"That's enough. You still have much to learn, Sabito," Urokodaki-san said down to Sabito. No menace or mockery in the older man's voice. It was more like a teacher seeing potential in his students. Sabito lifted his upper body to his elbows, nodding. Urokodaki took a step back. Sabito stood rubbing his back. They made their way to Hana and Giyu.

Sabito slid down on the other side of Hana. He took a gulp of water from the bamboo container.

"You've worked hard," Hana said to him, handing the peach haired boy the leaf wrapped onigiri. Giyu looked over Hana and hummed the same to his friend. Sabito gratefully took the onigiri.

"Thanks. Itadakimasu," Sabito said, quietly. He took a big bite from the rice. Hana waved her hand at Urokodaki, who nodded in acknowledgement before disappearing. After the weeks that went by since she started visiting, Hana has never seen Urokodaki without his mask on.

"Ne," Hana started. She stared at Urokodaki-san's back. "Have you seen Urokodaki-san without his mask?"

"No," Giyu said simply after swallowing.

"Never once in the nine months I've been here," Sabito added while chewing. Hana kept her gaze at the older man's retreating back. The blue of his jinbei styled kimono reflected the bright summer sun.

"Don't know wonder what he looks like underneath it?"

Hana shifted her gaze from the vanished Urokodaki to her companions. The two boys with chipmunk cheeks filled with onigiri faced her. Hana giggles in surprise. Would anyone guess that these two boys were sparring with Urokodaki-san with serious expressions minutes ago.

The two boys quirked an eyebrow at her, making her eyes teared with laughter. Sabito gulped and sighed.

"I think what's underneath it doesn't matter. Urokodaki-san looks cool with his mask or without," Sabito said. His gazed laid on the training field, thinking of how Urokodaki-san excellently wield his katana. Giyu and Hana stared at him. Sabito stared back at them, uncertainly.

"What is it?"

"You really like Urokodaki-san, don't you?" Hana asked him. Giyu nodded beside her in agreement. Sabito flushed.

"He's really an admirable person! Like how smooth he is when he cuts through anything so effortlessly."

"Hmmm. I didn't think that you'd be the type to fanboy," Hana hummed teasingly. She placed a hand on her chin and nodded at him, understandingly. Giyu hummed, agreeing with Hana. Sabito reddened further.

"J-Just l-let me eat already!"

* * *

"Where are you going?" Hana secured her hair in her normal ponytail by the counter, preparing to go out. Hana glanced back to the older lady. Chiyo- obaasan leant on the counter. Her gray hair forever tied in a tight bun on top of her head. A simple beige kimono hung on her thin frame. Her brows furrowed. Worry and age lined her forehead.

"I'm going to Mount Sagiri," Hana answered honestly. She slung her pouch across her body. Obaasan gaped at her. The older woman opened and closed her mouth in shock.

"W-What are you doing there?" Obaasan sputtered. Hana halted adjusting the strap of the pouch.

"I'm going to meet with friends." Hana made her way out the door. "I'll be back before sunset." Stepping out the door, the words of Obaasan trailed off behind her.

"Friends? Who-?"

The walk to Mount Sagiri was one of Hana's favourite parts of the day. Not more than twenty minutes, she passes by the scene of fields and nature. She was just coming to truly appreciate the beauty of it. Well, for how many years, all she's known was her room and walls of books of her father. A small zing of pain shot through her heart. She brought a hand over it, trying to soothe the pain away.

"Hana-chan, good morning!" An uncle who was one of the frequents of the store for teas for his pregnant wife passed her. He carried a cart behind him. She waved to him, returning the greeting.

"Good morning, Hiroto-san. How's Masasmi-san?" He grinned back at her.

"She's fine. Those teas of yours really helped her morning sickness." Warmth spread through Hana's chest.

"That's good." Hana bowed at him. "Well, I'll get going. It's good to see you, Hiroto-san." Her heart gave another pang. Her mother's recipe was a success but she wishes that her mother would've been— Hana shook her head. The sadness was creeping back in her. They wouldn't want me to feel like, Hana thought to herself.

"Hana!" Sabito called out. Hana lifted her gaze. Sabito and Giyu were cutting firewood beside Urokodaki-san's house. Sabito waved at her. His axe rested on his shoulder. He raised at brow at her as she went closer to them.

"Is something wrong?" Sabito asked her. She shook her head and placed a smile on her face.

"Nothing, Sabito. Good morning!" Sabito studied her for a moment longer. If he saw passed her forced smile, she didn't know.

"Well, are you just going to stand there or are you going to come with us?" Hana nodded as brightly as she was able. Now was not the time for sadness.

"Yeah!"

* * *

At the border of the training field, there was another clearing that held herbs. Hana harvested them while her friends continued their training. It was something to do while waiting for them. She enjoyed gathering the herbs in peacefulness of the mountain. The sweet breeze cooled the summer sun beaming down on her. The rustling of leaves whispered quietly but lately, Hana swears that she heard whispers of others. She shivered.

"What are you doing?"

Hana yelped. She jumped out of her skin. She whipped her head behind her. Sabito was leaning again one of the trees behind her. His hand loosely gripped the hilt of his wooden sword. The wooden blade rested on his shoulder. Hana wiped her hand across her forehead.

"You scared me," Hana sighed from her spot on the grass. Sabito studied her then chuckled. Lowering his sword, he settled himself beside her. Hana faced back to the plant that was the center of her attention minutes ago.

"I was digging up this plant," Hana caressed the plant's leaves gently. "It helps with blisters. It digs its roots deeply into mountain soil because of the soils' richness. Had a rather hard time trying to dig it up. Its properties lies in the roots." Hana carefully pulled the plant up. Sabito said nothing. He took hold of the plant's base, allowing Hana to gather the roots from the soil. When the plant was free, Sabito placed it into Hana's basket in front of him.

"It's still pretty weird that you are so willing to touch the dirt." Hana smirked at Sabito.

"Well, I have nothing against playing dirty," Hana bumped Sabito when he started to stand again. Sabito fell to the ground. His white haori stained further from the dirt of training. He watched up at the giggling girl. She propped the basket against her hip, using her free hand to reach down at him. Sabito reached out his hand to grasp hers.

"Well, I can play dirtier."

Hana startled when Sabito pulled her to the ground beside him. Her basket dropped to the floor. The contents being thrown around. Hana huffed from the impact to the ground. She sprawled on her back beside Sabito. Her laughs started softly before it became loud roars of laughter. Sabito tittered himself. He stood, brushing off his white haori. He reached a hand down to her this time.

Hana wiped away the tears of laughter from her eyes before grasping her hand in his. Sabito pulled her up, shaking his head with a smile as she tried to quiet her giggles. Sabito gathered her herbs and plants back into her basket. He carried the basket back to Urokodaki's house with Hana walking beside him.

Giyu opened the door right when the two was right in front of it. Giyu glanced at Sabito incredibly dirty with a wicker basket in his hands then to Hana. Giyu's dark eyebrow quirked, "Hana, did another tanuki attack you?" Sabito snickered quietly and walked into the house. He set down the basket.

Hana's hands flung to her face. She quickly entered the house to a small mirror resting on Urokodaki's drawers. She gasped at her reflection.

"Sabito! You didn't even tell me!" Dirt smeared all over her face but darker streaks of dirt decorated her forehead.

"As you said, you played dirty."

* * *

A fresh summer breeze rustled through her hair. Black loose locks swept gently off her shoulder. Paying close attention to the flowers in her hands, Hana didn't mind the stray lock. She hummed to herself while weaving the green flower stems together.

_The mist swirled around her lightly. The beams of the afternoon sun hazily enveloped her. Pressing her hand gently onto the rough bark of the trees, Hana strolled into the mountain's forest deeper than she ever had before. Marking trees with her small knife as she went. While she waited for Giyu and Sabito, she might as well search for the herb that Chiyo-obaasan was short on. The mountain's weather was perfect for the growth of such a plant. _

"_Don't too west on the mountain. That's where Urokodaki-san's traps are. You might get hurt or worse, lost." Sabito told her the other day. His gray eyes shone intently when the passing clouds cleared again. "I'll go with you." _

_Hana shook her head. She raised her hands to stop him. "No, it's okay. I don't want you to waste more of your time." Sabito's eyes narrowed. _

"_You're not—" _

"_It's okay, Sabito. I can take care of myself." Sabito gave her a questioning gaze. "Hey, I can! Giyu, back me up here." Giyu gave a questioning gaze as well. _

_Hana pouted, "Traitors. I definitely can take care of myself." _

_Now, she wasn't lost. She just didn't know where to go. What signs of the terrain or shrubbery does the herb give away if it is the right one. Hana sighed. She continued on. Like cicadas getting louder as the days grew hotter with summer, whispers around her erupted as she walked on. In the field beside the training area, she heard similar distant whispers. A shudder rolled over her. But oddly enough, she wasn't cold. It was more from the airiness of the sounds than from eeriness. It wasn't from the rustling of leaves or the wind blowing. It was a sound of muffled voices. _

_Her feet move toward the sound. It grew louder and louder when she weaved through the trees. Stumbling into a small clearing, the whispers stopped. The air grew completely still. In the middle of the ring of trees, there were stones that laid erect. Twelve of them were scattered through the center of the clearing. Hana slowly drew closer to them. She rested her hand on the nearest one. It was smooth with no signs of eroding or moss. Hana manoeuvred herself to get a better view of the stone. _

_Her breath hitched in her throat. A name was carved into the stone along with an "x" at the upper left corner. Numbly, Hana scanned the rest of the stones. Tombstones. All twelve of them. She lingered from one stone to the next. Each of the stones' face was a meticulously carved name and symbol. She studied the symbol of a curved line at the left corner of the stone. She carefully traced it. The craftsmanship was familiar. The carvings were gentle, polished. Someone made these tombstones lovingly. At the foot of each one of the stones laid a single flower with browning petals. And from the flowers, someone misses them deeply. _

_A tear slipped down her cheek. She slumped over the stone. Her bottom lip wobbled. _If this person who diligently made the tombstone and would visit regularly loved and missed them this much, she could only wonder how these souls must have love and miss them as much. _Hana inhaled shuddering breaths, willing herself not to cry. If they miss this person as well, she should give them company._

_Hana gathered herself and strolled to the other stone. She kneeled in front of it. She languidly gazed over the stones' face. Her fingertips brushed over two flower cravings. Hana smiled at tombstone. "You must like flowers… right, Makomo?" _

_The world moved around her in a gentle symphony. Winds brushing past. Whisperings of the forest became sweeter and more tender than she ever thought possible._

Knock, knock.

Hana was drawn from her musings. Her flower crown finished, laying on her lap. She rotated her body to face the source of the sound. Sabito leaned against the tree.

"What are you doing, Hana?" Sabito's voice resounded. Hana held up the flower crown. She beamed at him. "I'm making flower crowns. Wanna join me?" She turned her back on him, pulling the basket of white flowers closer to her. Sabito silently knelt down next to her. Hana handed him a number of flowers.

"Here," she said before proceeding to instruct him on how to entwine the green flower stems through each other. Sabito watched carefully, following along as Hana instructed. Hana's lips tugged upward. It was amusing to see Sabito, a boy who was being trained to be the bane of demons' existence, focusing intently on making flower crowns. To her left, Giyu slid quietly beside her. Hana shot the black haired boy a grin. He nodded in return before watching his other friend.

"Good job!" Hana exclaimed, clasping her hands together. The flower crown of Sabito turned out a bit wonky but it was a more than passable first try. Sabito sighed in disappointment. It didn't look like Hana's. "It's good for the first try." Hana comforted him. She took the flower crown from Sabito's hands. She rested the flower crown on her head. She lifted her own flower crown and placed it on Sabito's head.

"Here we go," Hana retratched her hands from his head and grinned. Surprise flashed in Sabito's eyes. Hana turned to Giyu and place her previously made flower crown on his black hair.

"You can't expect it to be perfect the first time. Let's try again. You too, Giyu."

* * *

"Sabito," Giyu started from beside Sabito. "You're killing Hana."

Together they watched Hana gasp for air. She laid on her back with closed eyes. Her borrowed hakama gathered dirt and dust. Sweat glued hair that escaped her ponytail to her cheeks and forehead. Her mouth opened to inhale greedily at the air. Sabito shook his head. Her breathing was another thing that they should work on.

"These are the very basics for her to defend herself," Sabito sighed. Giyu watched him from the corner of his eye. Sabito stood with his arms crossed, not at all winded from the training. Giyu wondered if this was what they looked like when they both started apprenticing with Urokodaki-san. They had graduated from basic self defense a long while ago but were they really capable of teaching this girl. Her twinkling purple eyes with determination and eager smile made them cave. Sabito took to teaching her but now was it a wise decision. Hana inhaled a deep breath shakily.

"She asked for it," Sabito said. Giyu remained silent. His dark blue eyes stared at the girl. Sabito peered at Giyu.

"What is it?" Sabito asked. He turned his body to face Giyu beside him. Giyu kept his stance, watching Hana.

"She did ask for it. But don't forget…" Sabito's orange brow quirked.

"Don't forget what?"

"That she's still a girl." Sabito stared at him.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sabito questioned. "She wanted this." With an emotionless mask, Giyu replied.

"Yes, _she _did."

"Hey!" Hana shouted from the training field. She patted off the dirt from her hakama and waved to them with the other. "I'm ready! Let's go again!" Giyu swiftly departed from Sabito's side. Sabito froze where he was, the words of Giyu lingering in his ears. The cryptic message made Sabito's head tilt in confusion.

"Sabito! Let's go. This time I'll beat you!" Hana's loud words sliced through his thoughts. The corner of his lips tugged upward, "Oh yeah?"

* * *

"I heard you asked Giyu for help," Sabito stated, watching Hana finish her stretches. She smirked back at him.

"Because of him, I'll unleash my ultimate move!" Lowering her hips and raising her arms, Hana got into stance. Sabito's eyebrows raised at her declaration.

"Let's see how it is then," Sabito sprinted to her. She effortlessly block his swing. Pushing with her forearm, she weaved around him. She punched what would be his chest but he pulls her wrist forward. The momentum of the pull made her feet skid against the ground. Another ten minutes of the same back and forth made Hana wheeze. The afternoon sun beat down on the both of them. Sabito had a thin sheen of sweat while Hana, on the other hand, was sweating buckets. They stood opposite each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Sabito breaks the moment of stillness. He rushed to her. Hana braced herself to counter. They skidded away from each other.

Hana gasped loudly. She fell to a knee, bowing her head to the ground. She held her ankle. She took in shuddering breaths, not making any stance. Sabito's eyebrows furrowed together as he watched her.

"Hana? What is it?" Sabito dropped his stance and moved toward her slowly. Unsure what happened to her. She didn't look up. Her black hair curtained her face. Sabito walked closer,

"Hana, what happened?"

She whispered something he couldn't hear. Sabito quickened his pace, "What?" Hana said something this time louder.

"-down." He caught the end of the sentence. He reached her and knelt in front of her to check what was wrong. "What?" He tried again. He tried to see her face hidden behind the black hair. She peaked up at him. But instead of the pain filled eyes Sabito expected to see, there was amusement dancing in them.

"You let your guard down!" Hana launched herself at him. Sabito yelped in surprise when he fell back. Hana landed on the space beside him. She giggled loudly. "I can't believe you fell for that. Literally." Her laughs increased as every second of Sabito's stunned silence ticked by. Slowly, his own laughs sounded with hers. Their chortles quieted down to sniggers after a while.

They laid on the ground. White fluffy clouds made their way languidly across the sky. Sabito and Hana watch it crawl by while their shoulders shook with remaining chuckles.

"It looks like a bunny," Hana pointed to a cloud. Sabito hummed in agreement.

"That one looks like a pot," Hana continued pointing up at the sky. "And a ginger root." Sabito chuckled lightly. Who points out that a cloud looks like a ginger root?

"It's been a while since I looked at clouds like this," Hana sighed. "My dad and I used to this every morning during summer. And used to eat watermelon." Hana laughed recalling. Her father carrying a huge watermelon back home all the way from town.

"It was his favorite," Hana whispered, watching the clouds pass by. Sabito glanced at her from the side of his eye.

"Back in my town. We would eat watermelon with everyone on the start of the summer and at the end. Right before the summer festival." Sabito said, staring up at the blue sky.

Hana turned her head to the side, taking in how peaceful Sabito looked while he watched the clouds. "You know Kimura-san has the best watermelon in the whole town. Every summer festival, he sells it. In the next one, we can go get some. We can eat it happily for _them._" _Them, _their families that were no longer with them. Sabito's eyes flickered to hers. She smiled at him. Her eyes creased at the sides happily.

"That sounds good," Sabito whispered as they watched the clouds again in silence.


	3. Chapter 3 - Red Camellia Tsubaki 椿

**Author's note: I don't own Kimetsu no Yaiba nor its characters.**

* * *

_**Red camellias represent true love. For warriors and samurais, it symbolized a noble death.**_

On one of their normal afternoons, the trio sat in the field beside the training one. They weaved flower crowns again. Hana's habit for making them grew. Whenever she made them, they were always exactly fifteen ringlets when she finished. Three of them would sit on their own heads while the others were tucked away in her basket. When he asked her about it, she simply smiled.

"They're for my friends," she said vaguely before placing a flower crown on his head. "Giyu, look at how pretty Sabito is." Her eyes narrowed with laughter. They gleamed soft purple when her lips stretched into a smile. In Sabito's stomach, there was a tight fluttering that traveled up his chest. He shook it off. Maybe he was hungry. He shifted his gaze to Hana again. She crowned Giyu this time. Their voices were miles away but they were right beside him. Hana threw her head back, laughing at what Giyu said. Giyu smiled gently as Hana giggled. There it was again. The tight feeling that made its way up to his chest. He kneaded his chest gently, willing the feeling away.

"Sabito, are you alright?" Hana asked. She tilted her head. The tightening in his chest and stomach came back again. Sabito willed it away with a shake of his head. Hana hummed at his reply before talking to Giyu again. Their voices were drowned in his heart beats that echoed through his ears.

* * *

Maybe he's coming down with something, Sabito thought. He gripped his chopsticks. That tightens in his heart was something that was unusual for him. He raised rice into his mouth. Maybe a flu but he felt completely fine when he exercises and trains. Maybe he was hungry at those times but he ate lunch with Giyu and Hana. Sabito looked down at his bowl of rice. A lone black sesame seed caught his attention. He stared at it.

White expanse with a small black spot. It was like Hana's mole, underneath her shining purple eyes. It stood out on her pale skin. It would stand out more when Hana's eyes would narrow into happy half crescent moons. Cute, Sabito chuckled lightly. He jolted. Cute, did he just think Hana was cute?

Heat rose to his cheeks. This was happening more than he liked. Shoving his chopsticks into his rice, he shovelled the rice into his mouth. He turns away from his rice bowl, furiously chewing. What was happening to him?

* * *

Maybe Hana would tell him the answer. Sabito walked to the tree Hana was normally sitting by. The wind blew around him, picking up his uneven locks. He smoothed it down. Hana sat by the tree. Her back facing him as she hummed to herself. Her hands busied themselves collecting flowers and herbs.

He knocked twice on the bark of the tree to get her attention. Hana twisted to face him. Another gust of wind blew by. It swept her hair behind her. Sabito's breath hitched in his throat.

"Sabito," she beamed at him. Warmth spread through his chest. She always called out to him gently, excitedly. Her soft caress soothed his hands roughed by what he thought his life was going to be. She shone a light of life when he thought only about death.

"Hana," he said softly.

"Yes?" She answered him brightly, tilting her head. A smile stretched across her face.

She was the answer. _She was making him feel this way. _

* * *

Underneath the shade of the tree, Hana watched Giyu and Sabito practice. They swung their wooden swords down repeatedly. She hummed to herself absentmindedly. Fingers toyed with the flowers beside her. After watching them train the past how many months, she could make out the differences between her friends.

Giyu's strokes were clean and swift. His body was angled precisely. His blue eyes would lay steadily and calmly on his opponent, weighing his options and thoughts. Once he makes his decision, his body never fails to carry it out flawlessly. When he would spar with Urokodaki-san, Giyu would move swiftly and attacked with silently but when Urokodaki-san countered, their wooden swords would met loudly.

Giyu's style was very much like him. Silent but fierce, Hana concluded with a soft smile. Her gaze shifted to Sabito. Warmth bloomed in her chest.

Sabito was like a raging river. Relentless and powerful in his attack. His strength was enough to overpower Urokodaki-san once but Urokodaki-san would counter with expertise. He takes action before thinking. He stands his ground on every decision. She knew that the moment they met.

She drew her legs closer to herself. Sabito…. Giyu and Sabito halted their sword swinging practice and faced each other. Hana watched them talking voiceless words to each other while drinking from their water skins. Giyu's back was to her while Sabito's face was at her full view.

When she first started hanging out with Giyu and Sabito, Sabito was cool borderline indifferent. He never really minded her but after awhile, Hana realised that it was his exterior. He cared deeply and closely. He knew things that she liked without her explicitly telling him. When he is truly happy, the "cool" facade of his would melt into a crooked grin.

Hana jolted slightly at her thought. She plucked the flower her fingers were unconsciously playing with. Heat rose to her face. With the flower between her fingers, she slammed her hands onto her cheeks, attempting to cool them down.

From the training field, Sabito peered past Giyu, setting his sight on her. His chopped peach hair stuck to his face, glued by sweat. Beads of sweat rolled down his face. Waving his arm, Sabito grinned at her lopsidedly.

He is adorable. Hana admitted, unable to deny it when it was beaming at her. Her heart quickened and warmth spread across her cheeks. This was the first time she ever felt this way. She grinned and waved back at him.

_He was reason for a change. He was the reason she can smile as happily as she ever could._

* * *

"Haven't I told you that you need to tell me when you get hurt and not five days later?"

Sabito winced when she placed the ointment over the bruised shoulder. He was doing his normal sprint down the mountain but this time something caught his eye and distracted him. An outline of a person flashed at the corner of his eye. Maybe it was just his imagination. What brought him back to reality was the impact of a suspended wooden pillar that Urokodaki placed for this obstacle course. The next thing he knew it was pain searing his left shoulder and being flung to the ground.

Hana sighed exasperated as she lathered the ointment onto his shoulder."What am I going to do with you two? Giyu is bad enough when he just silently comes to me and I have to guess what happened but you—" Hana's voice faded. Her touch feather-light as to not add more pain. If one was not paying attention, her soft touch could go unrecognised but it drew his complete attention. Sabito watched her hands on his shoulder before shifting his gaze to her.

She was so close. Her black hair was tied into a bun at the nape of her neck. Something she did whenever she would treat a patient. Sabito noted, recalling when he would visit _Sasaki Herbs and Medicines _and see her help her Obaa-san attend to clients. She went around the store smoothly drawing out leaves and powder from drawers on the wall and creating whatever the patients needed. Draughts, ointments, teas.

A lock of hair escaped and framed the right side of her face. It slowly inched to the corner of her eye. She didn't mind it, continuing to scold him. Her eyes focusing strictly on his shoulder.

Slowly, Sabito reached his left arm up. Hana's voice died down in her throat, watching his hand move up. He brushed a lock of hair away. Her hair was as soft as he dreamt it was. Silky soft.

His eyes moved from Hana's hair to the suddenly silent Hana. His grey eyes met with gradient purple. His breath hitched from their distance. He felt her warmth radiating to his bones. Their faces inches from each other. He felt her breath brush against his cheeks lightly. Up close, she looked even more beautiful.

He didn't know if he was dreaming when Hana leaned closer to him ever so slightly. His own body was drawn closer to her.

_Bang. _

"Sabito, are you okay?" Sabito and Hana sprung apart. Both their cheeks flushed red and eyes darting everywhere except each other. Giyu quirked a brow at them.

"Are you okay, Sabito?" Giyu asked again slowly. Sabito's gaze snapped up to Giyu's while becoming even more red as he spluttered.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." Giyu flickered his gaze between his two friends. Silence hung over the room.

"Ok." Giyu said, oblivious over the growing awkwardness.

"Ok," Hana declared, standing up quickly. "S-Sabito, apply the ointment twice a day. I'm going back now." Hana walked over to the door, willing herself to calm down. Right before the door, she couldn't help but look back at the peach haired boy as he couldn't help raising his gaze to see her off. Their eyes met again, causing redness to grace their faces once again.

"B-Bye," they both said. Hana swung open the door and quickly slammed it shut.

* * *

Sun high in the summer sky, Sabito and Hana rested in the tree shade. Comfortable silence drifted gently between them like a soft breeze. At the corner of Sabito's eye, he watched Hana's content face. Her lavender eyes hidden by pale lids. Dark lashes rested on the tops of her cheeks. Her small black mole underneath her right eye slightly covered by them. A half smile graced her face.

His chest tightened. Her happiness at that every moment more fragrant than the flowers of the field. His eyes fluttered shut to listen to the rustling of leaves and the far away noise of cicadas. Her voice cuts through the air.

"Sabito."

* * *

Closed eyed, Sabito relaxed against the tree bark. His layered peach hair swayed lightly from the passing gust of wind. He took slow breaths but they were not deep enough to indicate sleep. He was lost in his own thoughts which were a rare event that glazed his eyes over. His unwavering grey-lavender eyes concealed from the world. Hana's breath hitched as her heart pulsed faster. His gaze that made it seem that whatever was in front of him was the only thing that mattered. The gaze that she was the only thing in front of him and the rest of the world faded away around them.

Her heart ached. At least, that was how she felt she saw him. In just how many months, they had grown inseparable along with Giyu. But this… This was different from how she saw Giyu. This was as fierce as her bond with Giyu but in a different way. She wanted to see that gaze that made her feel this way.

"Sabito," Hana whispered softly. His name slipped from her lips just a hair above silence. She gasped as quietly when Sabito's eyes opened. Grey-lavender with steadfastness held her own purple eyes.

For what felt like hours, Hana stared into Sabito's eyes. She finally spoke, "What are you thinking about?" Her question was met with a brief silence.

"My time here," he replied back quietly. "Time with Urokodaki-san, Giyu… you." Sabito trailed off while turning his head. Hana's breath was caught in her throat once more. Heart pounding faster. The profile of his face showed wistfulness… A longing.

"My family. When they were still here." Emotion choked Hana, rendering her speechless but someone who listened was all Sabito needed. "What I could've done to help them. What was left of that day." Sabito brushed his fingertips along his scar.

"What happened?" Hana whispered. Her heart twisted when she saw the pain on his face.

"The demon was eating my father. I tried to save him but it was too late. The demon slashed at me then my mother and brother jumped in its way. Urokodaki-san came when I saw the demon cut through my brother… None of them made it. I was alone."

"Oh, Sabito," Hana could never imagine the agony of watching her entire family die in front of her but here Sabito was— with wounds that remained open as the night his family perished.

"They never wanted you to be alone but," Hana moved closer to him. "You still have a family. You have Urokodaki-san, who took care of you. You have Giyu, who watches your back and makes sure that your idiocy doesn't cause too much harm." Sabito cracked a smile. Hana raced on. "You have… You have _me." _Sabito faced her head on this time, staring deeply into her eyes.

"You have me, who will make sure that your idiocy does not go unpunished. Who is here to fix you up along with Giyu. You have me," Hana inched closer to her to Sabito. A hair's breadth away from his lips, Hana's own past his and landed on his cheek. She brushed her lips against the slightly rigid scar.

Heat flooded to her face and neck when she drew back. A relief briefly flashed through her when she saw Sabito's own face redden. Her gaze met his but both immediately looked down at their hands. Her scar riddled hands fidgeted on the fabric of her skirt. Willing her heart to stop beating at her ears, Hana peeked up from her dark hair. Sabito flushed a lovely shade of red as he stared at his calloused hands. Hana's lips tilted into a small smile.

"You aren't alone anymore. You have us—"

Hana's words were interrupted by Giyu's. "Sabito! Hana! Let's go!" Giyu's training finished just then and he appeared from his clearing at the other side of the field. Hana gathered her strength and stood up.

"Your family may be gone but we are still here," Hana brushed away the dirt from her skirt and met Sabito's eyes . The warmth of her lips still left a soft, gentle heat on his cheek. The wind made her black hair sway around her. She looked at him with bright purple eyes. Her eyes turned into crescent moons. The mole underneath her eye winking at him. Her beautiful face stretched into a blinding grin. Scarred hands held out to him. "Come with me, Sabito."

* * *

Six days. Six days since Sabito last saw her. A new record for Hana's absence. Maybe, she didn't want to see them anymore. Sabito shook the thoughts away and stepped out of the house. The afternoon sun shone the path into town. Urokodaki-san agreed to allow Sabito look for Hana wordlessly but from the fact that Urokodaki-san agreed for Sabito to skip training for a couple hours was proof enough that he was just as worried as Sabito and Giyu. But he wasn't so worried to allow Giyu to go with Sabito. One person is sufficient to search for Hana.

Arriving to Hana's house which was also her family's herb store, Sabito saw Hana's grandmother. The stoic and stern woman quirked an eyebrow at Sabito before looking down at her newspaper.

"She's not here," was the short reply of the older woman. Sabito shifted his weight before lifting his chin.

"Then, do you know where she is?" A pause from Sabito. "We've been worried about her."

"Interesting that Urokodaki-san allowed you to look for her. Anyway, she has her own business to attend to this week."

"Do you have any other information than that?" Sabito's desperate question made Hana's grandmother lift her eyebrow even further to her hairline. Sabito continued albeit breathlessly. "I just want to know if she is okay."

"Hanako is fine," a new voice come from the storage door to the right of Hana's grandmother. It was Hana's uncle, Daisuke. Her official guardian who came back two weeks prior. Sabito bowed respectfully to the older man, who waved the formality off. "She is in no danger. At least, none that I know of. She just needs time… alone."

"Do you know where—"

"Son, I said that she is fine. She needs time to herself."

Sabito straightened. "Hana doesn't do _alone." _Daisuke-oji san eyed the young boy wearily. "I'll find her." Sabito declared before bowing again and shutting the door behind him. Daisuke sighed when the door closed shut. Hana really was never the child to want to be alone but she was never the type to ask for someone to stay with her. Finally, she found someone— some people who knew not to ask and just do it. Daisuke hummed pleased and clicked his tongue, moving over to cashier. His mother huffed, never lifting her eyes off the paper.

Sabito found her by the narrow river that cut through the border of the town. She sat leaning against a tree. Between her fingers, she twirled the stem of a yellow flower. Quietly, he approach her. She absentmindedly stared into the river, lost in her thoughts. A tiny crease laid between her brows like it always would when she was in deep thought. Sabito imagined this was how she looked when he would knock on the tree behind her twice.

When he was in front of her by a couple steps, she looked up. Her eyes and nose tinged light red. Sabito's stomach wretched from her tear stained face. He knelt before her, taking her hands into his. The worn flower fell into her lap as he gripped her palms. Her hands were cold.

"Hana, what's wrong?" Sabito spoke quietly in front of her. Her eyes glistened over a little before she answered with a rasp. "It has been a year already."

Sabito felt realization surge through him like an attack he just received. It struck him fast. This was the first year of her parents' death. His grip on her hand tightened.

"E-Everything was burning. I tried to get to my parents room but they told me to leave. There was flaming rubble between me and them and glass was on the ground. The smoke suffocated me but I still managed to call my parents. They told to crawl my way out and forget about them." A short pause. Sabito wordlessly encouraged her to continue, rubbing his hands on her back in soothing circles. "They told me to leave them and my lungs hurt so much that I followed them. I reached the entrance before I passed out. When I woke up, my hands were burned and scarred. And I had no more parents left." A choked sob escaped her.

"I was so stupid. I was so selfish. I shouldn't have left them there. I shouldn't have—" Sabito drew her to his chest and allowed her tears to soak his shirt. Her pained wails and cries twisted a knife in his heart.

"They would never forgive for leaving them—"

"No," Sabito said firmly. "They told you to get out. They wanted their most prized treasure to be safe. They wanted their only daughter to be safe— to live. For them." Hana hiccuped against him. She blubbered, "I killed them! I left them!"

"Hana," Sabito commanded her attention, pulling back to look at her. Tears rolled down fat streaks on her face. "They told you to leave them so that you can live. And you living for them was enough! They would never hate you." Hana's hiccups turned into silent wails. Sabito brought hands to his face gently. He placed a tender kiss on scarred knuckles.

"You're okay. You being here today and _living life_ was more than they could ever want."

* * *

Time flew by quickly. Fleeting moments only made feelings grow even stronger.

"My grandparents and uncle has made an appointment with the Nakodo tomorrow." Hana's sudden declaration made Sabito stumble over nothing. The sun was starting to set and night was another hour away. Sabito accompanied Hana back into town. They were entering town when Hana revealed the news.

She shrugged, "A matchmaker is getting really trendy these days. Uncle's friend arranged a Nakodo for his daughter and they were able to find a suitable match. So, they decided to get me one." Sabito felt his stomach turn over and his heart ache. _They_ were _something_.

Or maybe he just thought of vanishing daydreams. For them to actually be together might as well be a dream. He could never be there for her if he became a demon slayer and supporting her while being invisible to the rest of the world is near impossible. But… But he had always hoped that they could work. _They _were _something, _which was better than nothing. Of course, her family would be concerned. It was something not enough for everything. With his voice knotted in his chest, Sabito managed a small "Oh?"

Hana nodded her head, "Yeah but I don't want to go to the Nakodo. Marriage arrangements? No thanks." Sabito bristled a little. An arrangement would guarantee her having a sheltered and comfortable life. He wanted that for her but she didn't want it at all.

"Why not?!" Sabito burst, taking Hana by surprise. She looked away from him.

"Because I don't want that."

"Then what do you want? The Nakodo is almost sure to give you a comfortable life. Do you not want that?"

"Of course, I want that but—"

"But what? It's a great way to find a husband who can give you everything you need!" Hana and Sabito drew closer to each other. Frustration fueling them.

"He can't give everything!"

"Then what else do you need?"

"You! I need you to be the one, not anyone else!" Hana screamed back. The moment the words were out her lips— out in the open for him to hear, she blushed furiously. She gazed down at the ground, chest heaving with horrification of her confession. Sabito shocked stayed quiet, processing what she had just said.

"No matter of the match that will be made, I know that the boy won't be able to give me everything because… he isn't you," Hana said softly, wringing her hands.

"Well, I can't promise you everything in the world…" Sabito drawled. Hana flinched. Sabito stepped closer to her until he was right in front of her. "But I can promise you everything I am and everything I have." Hana snapped her gaze to Sabito, who grinned back at her. Hana stood in disbelief as Sabito continued, wrapping his arms around her.

"But you'll have to wait. We still need to create our sense of everything," Sabito hugged her with a cheeky grin. Hana let out a sigh, body relaxing in relief. She laughed and hugged him back tightly.

"Then, we'll just both have to stay with each other for the next years to come." Hana smiled back. Sabito rested his forehead against hers. Both grinning ear to ear.

Sabito's whispers warmed her with hope and love, "I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

The air hung heavy. She stared at her two friends. Their white and red haori freshly cleaned. Swords hilted at their waist. The blue sky was painted with orange and pink clouds. Her stomach knotted. The future for them was unsure but she was certain…

"When you both come back, I'll help Urokodaki make a feast." Hana smiled at them. Their own tensed shoulders loosened.

Before unspoken fears and silent anxiety choked her, Hana pulled them to her. She embraced them tightly. Her forehead pressed to theirs. _Just please let them come back. _

* * *

Wisteria flowers hung over them when they reached the mountain. The varying shades of purple draped delicately around them. Sabito stared up at the flowers. The gradient purple embedded in his brain was the same.

"Sabito?" Giyu asked beside him. His tone questioning why his friend stopped on their way up the steps.

"It's just like her eyes."

"You're right."

* * *

"Go!" Sabito shouted to the two boys. One leant against the other who was bleeding from his arm. They staggered back, running away as fast as they were capable. Sabito gripped his katana before sprinting to the Hand Demon. He leapt to a tree when he felt the ground underneath him shift slightly. Hand shot up to grasp air. More hands launched at him. Sabito weaved away from them.

Hana's voice rang in his ears. HIs sight zeroed on the demon's neck. He swung. _Crash. _

"_You have me." _Hana's voice rang louder than his katana breaking. _The warmth of her lips still left a soft, gentle heat on his cheek. The wind made her black hair sway around her. She looked at him with bright purple eyes. The mole underneath her eye winking at him. Her beautiful face stretched into a blinding grin. "Sabito," her voice chimed lightly. _

"Hana," he whispered back. Black engulfed him.

* * *

_Crash. _Hana flinched at the sound of the pestle fell to the floor. The shards shouted to her from the floor. She stared at it, feeling a chill run down her spine. _It doesn't mean anything._Hana chastised herself. _They'll come back. He'll come back._


	4. Chapter 4 - Forget-Me-Not 勿忘草

**Author's note: I don't own Kimetsu no Yaiba nor its characters.**

* * *

_**Forget-me-nots represent true love. **_

_Require your assistance._

_Urokodaki. _

Hana stared at the letter a crow had just delivered. It was the first time that he ever sent a letter. The crow let out one last loud caw before taking off to the swirling pink, blue, and orange sky. She glanced out the window of Sasaki Herbs and Medicines. The setting sun lit the brown orange leaves on trees. Autumn was coming upon them.

And it had been nearly six months since she last saw Urokodaki-san. The longest she had gone from not visiting. For the past eight years, she has not been going to Urokodaki-san daily. She made it a point to visit every other day or if business was booming, once a week. Her chest grew heavy with guilt. Every time she tried to visit him the past months, the guilt and sadness in her ate at her. She couldn't bring herself to… especially when she is about to sign her fate.

Hana shook her head, dispersing the thoughts. She stared at darkening sky. She will leave at the first light of dawn.

* * *

Every step she took up Mount Sagiri was like a pound lifted from her shoulders but a dark sadness swirled more intensely inside of her. The joy of walking up the mountain was no longer as fervent as it was when she was younger. She brushed the feeling away. Urokodaki-san was in need of help. Unknowing of what problems he may have faced to require help, Hana brought the whole fleet of herbs that she could possibly carry.

Nostalgia greeted her when she saw the small wooden house again. A smile worked up to her lips. The only thing that has not changed in the last eight years. Gathering her courage, Hana knocked on the door.

* * *

Two knocks made it clear that there was someone there. Tanjiro stood to answer it. Urokodaki-san remained beside Nezuko but the door to the room was wide enough for the tengu-masked man to see who was there. Tanjiro slid the door open and found a girl.

A young woman in her twenties maybe with a woven basket in her silver lined hands and a small box strapped on to her back. Her white haori warmed her from the biting Autumn chill. Her kimono was a white kimono with black and gray designs of flowers and geometric designs patterned on the fabric. Her obi was varying shade of violet.

When reaching her face, Tanjiro held back a gasp. It was almost like his mother was standing before him. This woman had purple gradient eyes. Pale skin. The mole was underneath her right eye unlike his mother's which was by the corner of her lip. Black tendrils of hair framed her face but the rest was pulled back into a ponytail secured by a green cord.

'Beautiful,' Tanjiro thought while staring at her.

"Oh! Is Urokodaki-san here?" She said. Her upbeat voice pulled Tanjiro out of his trance.

"Yes!" His voice pitched higher. A blush dusting over his face in embarrassment. He bowed quickly. "I am Kamado Tanjiro. Urokodaki-san has been training me for the past six months."

She took a step back slightly, stunned. "Training?" She whispered to herself before shaking her head. She bowed back to him. "Good morning. I am Sasaki Hanako. I am a friend of Urokodaki-san. Where—"

"Come in," Urokodaki's gruff voice called in from deeper inside the house. Tanjiro stepped to the side, allowing Hana to enter. A wave of familiarity greeted her. It was weird to have this much people under one roof once more but she welcomed it.

She walked over to the room Urokodaki-san was in. She gasped when she saw a sleeping girl with a piece of bamboo in her mouth.

"Urokodaki-san, why is she—"

"This is Nezuko-chan. The sister of Tanjiro who was turned into a demon—" Hana took a step back startled. "But refused to eat any humans. She has been asleep for the last six months and has not woken up once. We need your help to wake her." Hana shifted her weight to the balls of her feet, unsure on how to answer the red-tengu masked man.

"Urokodaki-san, I don't even know how it is possible to sleep for that long without being comatose but even then, she would have withered away within the first few months. A-And is it even possible to have a demon that doesn't eat human flesh? I-I don't think that I would be doing the right thing to wake a demon—" Her stammering response was cut off by a fuming Tanjiro.

"Nezuko would never hurt anyone! _Will _never hurt anyone," Tanjiro declared, leaning over his sister to cup her hand in his.

"I don't know—"

"Nezuko would never eat a human. She had the opportunity to eat Tanjiro but she didn't. Instead, she defended him." The words of Urokodaki were like a whirlwind of information. She was turned but didn't eat anyone when she had a chance to. It was impossible. But here Urokodaki-san was stating it.

"Giyu sent me a message, confirming this event. After all, he was the very person Nezuko was defending Tanjiro from. He was the one who sent Tanjiro and Nezuko here." His words made Hana straighten. Giyu said that about Nezuko and even sent Tanjiro to train with Urokodaki…

Her fidgeting fingers curled into a fist. "I will try to wake her," Hana announced before kneeling beside Tanjiro to touch the girl's hand. Nezuko's skin was cool to the touch. Hana shivered. If she wasn't told that Nezuko is still indeed alive but was just turned into a demon, Hana would've automatically assumed that this girl was dead. Delicately, Hana pressed two fingers against spot of Nezuko's wrist right underneath her thumb. A soft, barely-there pulse thumped beneath her fingers. There was still life in the younger girl. She was fighting although she appeared to be resting.

"I will try to rouse her but don't expect too much. If she hasn't woken at least once in the last half year, it will be very unlikely for her to wake up now."

* * *

Tanjiro was different from the other trainees of Urokodaki-san. Although she had known only two of his apprentices, Hana could say that Tanjiro was different. He was loud, talkative. He openly stated where he came from, the death of his family, and what he was going to do next. He was naive and impressionable similar to Giyu but the way that he tried to look for the good in everything was a lot more like Sabito.

He loved his family fiercely like the two and it made her feel warm. He fought for people. Maybe it might allow him to make it through any challenges he faces. But, Hana knew that death would only be the guarantee of this profession.

Tanjiro swung his sword, counting "991… 992…" He trained hard and diligently. Just like them. Tanjiro loudly pursued this path. After reaching a thousand, Urokodaki-san's voice called for 500 more. Tanjiro yelped at his teacher before swimming his sword again. "1001. 1002. 1003."

Hana giggled. It was like old times… but it wasn't and could never be again. Hana returned to Nezuko's room after a short break of watching Tanjiro. She tried almost everything in her supplies. It didn't even make her twitch or stir. Maybe, she could find something in the storage room that might help. In her ancient copy of _Herbs and Medicines Encyclopedia, _there was a chapter dedicated to comatose patients. Maybe, it had something that could wake Nezuko up.

Hana sighed, brushing Nezuko's hair from her face. To her right, a presence sat beside her.

"No luck?" Tanjiro asked, dejectedly looking at his sister. Hana shook her head. Her green cord swish from side to side.

"None. I tried everything I have but maybe I could dig up more information and medicines in the store that might help."

Tanjiro exhaled sadly and held his hands on his lap, palms face upward. Hana changed her gaze from Nezuko to Tanjiro. His hands were raw and split opened. Hana hissed from the imagined pain of them as she did when she would see well practiced hands with swords.

"Here, this will help your blisters," Hana spoke, grabbing a jar of ointment from her small cabinet of supplies. Tanjiro held out his hands as Hana slathered on the ointment. The immediate cooling effect of the balm made Tanjiro sigh in delight.

"The cooling effect will ease the pain," Hana smiled knowingly at him. "Then the ointment will start healing up the wounds and blisters. This is the best friend of any apprentice of Urokodaki-san."

"Are you one? An apprentice of Urokodaki-san?" Tanjiro asked curiously. He tilted his head to the side like a begging puppy. Hana gave him a small smile.

"No… I was friends with two," Hana answered curtly. She brought the jar to his face. "I will leave this here for you to use. Apply it generously to your hands before you sleep every night you feel the need to." Tanjiro nodded silently at her quick instructions. Hana stood up, bringing her basket and strapped on closet with her. She slung the closet over her shoulder and situated the basket more comfortably in her hands.

"I will come back tomorrow after dawn to try more herbs and medicines on your sister. Tell Urokodaki this." With that, she swiftly exited the house. Sunset was another one and a half hours away but going home was something she needed. Answering more questions raised her old scars and wounds that she shoved away. Every once and awhile, especially with the recent events, the scars and wounds pulsed brightly in the darkness of her heart— demanding her attention.

_Rainy skies. Her weeping along with the heavens. Hunched in front of stone, wailing. Wringing beautiful flowers to bow in sadness along with her. A hand pressed on her left shoulder. Warmth and company was the opposite of what she felt. She sobbed louder, bringing her arms around the stone. She never felt this alone and bitterly cold. And without a doubt, he would have ensured that she would never feel like this. But, here it was. _

* * *

After days of visiting Mount Sangiri, Hana was yet to wake Nezuko. She spent her entire day with Urokodaki and Tanjiro, trying again and again to figure out what could help Nezuko.

Hana stretched her knotted neck, sighing. Tanjiro from the desk pushed into the room's corner halted his writing.

"Take a break, Sasaki-san," Tanjiro stated, getting up to position himself at Hana's side. He took Nezuko's hands in his. Her pale, delicate hand a stark difference from Tanjiro's tanned, rough hands. Hana watched Tanjiro study his sister's sleeping face. His free hand sneakily pressed against his abdomen.

"Tanjiro-kun? What's wrong?" Hana asked the boy when she caught the hand nursing his stomach. Tanjiro flinched.

"N-Nothing, Sasaki-san."

Hana shook her head, "That is something. Are you injured?" Her serious stare brought out his confession.

"Yes. But it is alri—"

"No it is not. Where is it?"

It was his abdomen which was bruised along with his left upper chest and shoulder. There was also a wound from the juncture of his thumb and pointer finger down to his wrist. From a rock, he explained to her with darting eyes. Seated on the tatami in front of the fire pit, Hana brought out a soothing salve for his bruises and cloth bandages for his wound.

"You should tell me when you are injured or in pain. I can help," Hana tsked to Tanjiro after finishing placing on the salve. Tanjiro hurriedly, and wincing when he went to fast, placed his top and haori to warm himself from the lingering autumn chill.

"What is it with people not telling me this," Hana muttered to herself while unraveling the ball of bandages. She sat across from Tanjiro. He studied her. Black hair falling from her bun and framing her cheek. She really did look like his mother. She could pass even as his older sister.

"Hand," she commanded, holding out her own. He obediently placed his left hand in her asking one. He's really like a puppy, Hana giggled to herself. Tanjiro cleansed his wound before she started applying the salve to his bruises. Hana hummed to herself as she wrapped a bandage around his hand. Tanjiro watched her work. He opened and closed his mouth like a fish gasping for air. His hesitation filled the air.

"What is it?" Hana asked without looking up from her work.

"Are you from _Magome?"_ Hana stopped and looked at the boy in surprise.

"My mother is from there," Hana answered, returning to her work. Tanjiro brightened.

"My mother too! And you look just like her!" Tanjiro grinned. Hana hummed at his enthusiasm. She grinned back at him.

"Maybe we're related," Hana said nonchalantly. She tried to make the bandage tight but comfortable enough for him to grip his katana. He beamed with excitement.

"Ne-Ne, Hana-onee san," Hana smiled at his loss of formality. It seemed that he forgot about the chance that she might not even be related to him at all. "How do you know Urokodaki-san when you aren't a Demon Slayer apprentice?" Hana stopped, reeling from his question. Swallowing the knot in her throat, she ties the ends of the bandages and replied.

"I was saved by him and his apprentices when a demon was about to eat me. Then from then on, I kept coming back here and I became best friends with those two apprentices. One of them was Giyu," Tanjiro's brightness dimmed a bit before beaming fully again upon hearing Giyu's name.

"Giyu-san is really nice," Tanjiro said, indebted to the older boy for vouching for him and Nezuko. Hana chuckled, drawing back from Tanjiro's injury. "Yeah, he sure is."

* * *

Sabito's wooden sword loudly struck against Tanjiro's. Tanjiro parried and delivered a strike of his own. _He is improving but it's not enough, _Sabito thought before agilely weaving around Tanjiro to deliver the final blow.

Tanjiro flew to the ground. His katana flying from his hand. He grunted upon landing and groaned sitting up. Sabito prepared to strike again but stopped short when he watched Tanjiro cup his chest with a bandaged hand. The bandage was neatly done, almost impeccably executed. At the tied edges, there was a light pink dye at the tips. It was tucked into the cloth around the double knot and light pink tips peeked out by the knot. _"Like a cute little bunny," she giggled. _

Tanjiro scrambled for his sword as Sabito stood still. He braced himself for another attack from the fox-masked boy but it never came. Sabito was remained still before abruptly turning his back on Tanjiro and disappearing. Stunned, Tanjiro stared at spot Sabito left without another word.

"Where did Sabito go? He just… left," Tanjiro asked Makomo after his spar with Sabito. Makomo swung her feet as she sat on top of the boulder. Tanjiro tried again, "Who are you both? Do you and Sabito live around here?"

Makomo placed a flower crown on her head. She replied with her usual pet phrase, "Both he and I love Urokodaki-san very much." Tanjiro exhaled, exasperated from the lack of answer.

"Then do you know Hana-onee san?" Tanjiro asked, hoping she might give him more information than the usual. Makomo smiled at him and readjusted her crown before replying in her airy voice.

"We really like Hana-chan."

Tanjiro tilted his head, becoming even more confused. But one thing was certain.

_Makomo knows Hana-onee san. Sabito knows Hana. _

* * *

Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Autumn gave way to the cold of winter.

The last couple of days she has been digging through her grandparents' archives to find something that could rouse Nezuko but to no avail. She was waiting for a supplier that was carrying some of the herbs that could help but since she did not know when he would come, she has been staying at the store.

She received another letter from a crow. This time it was from Tanjiro.

_Dear Hana-onee san, _

_I have sliced the boulder and am departing for the Final Selection tomorrow. I will be passing through the town tomorrow. _

_From, Tanjiro_

Now, she was waiting at the path from Mount Sagiri that cuts straight through town. In her hands, she played with her basket filled with jars of salves and bandages for Tanjiro. _But shouldn't he traveling light?_ She thought to herself. _Maybe I should just give him one._

Her hands couldn't stay still. They wriggled and fidgeted with her basket and her haori. Nervousness and anxiety ate at her. By the end of this week, she will see the fate of Tanjiro and her own. Her heart clenched.

"Hana-onee san!" Tanjiro called out to her when he saw her. She waved back, pushing away her thoughts. "I'm so glad to see you before the Final Selection!"

Hana smiled back at him, "I'm glad to have caught you before you left. Here are some things that you might need. You know just in case." She handed him a thin jar of salve for any wound. He beamed at her with gratitude before placing it in his stash.

"… And Tanjiro?" Hana said hesitantly. She scolded herself. _She was the older one between the two and the one staying safe at home, why was she so nervous? _

She cupped his face and leaned forward. A chaste kiss on his forehead. _Please let him come home. Please, Kamisama, let him come home._

She stepped back and mustered a grin, "Be safe. I'll see you when you come back." Tanjiro grinned back, "I will!"

Tanjiro waved at her from down the street before he disappeared. Hana waved back with a fading smile when he was gone. She lowered her hands and gripped them together.

_He will come back. He is going to see his sister awake. He is making his own destiny._ Hana sighed, rallying her own courage. _So I will make mine._

* * *

Being at the training field the first time after eight years made her laugh. The complete opposite of what she was expecting. Sun high in the sky. White fresh powder laid pristine on the field. It was entirely covered with snow. For the past years, when she thought about this training field, all she saw was Sabito and Giyu. But here she was at the training field. White pure snow was all she could see.

She trailed through the field, taking in the sight. When they were younger, the three of them would have snowball fights. "_For accuracy! Not to mention, sharpening your battle senses!" _She exclaimed while throwing the first ball at Sabito then Giyu. Then both of them ganging up on her. Hana giggled. One of the best times of her life even though she face first fell into the snow.

The trees have withered from the cold. No leaves hung from the branches. The soil dry with nothing but ice. Hana slowed when she came up to her usual tree. The tree where she would stay watching Giyu and Sabito. Where the most beautiful flowers were at the base of the tree. Now, it was nothing but snow. Hana sat at the base, facing the tree. She ran her fingers on the tree trunk, feeling each and every groove. She smiled sadly. A tear escaped from her eye and slid down her cheek.

"Long time no see," she choked out to the tree. "You've seen happier times huh? Especially when everyone was still here." Only the chilling winter breeze answered her.

"Same," she continued. The sadness and loneliness she had locked up eight years ago were finally seeing light. "I never thought that they would stop—" Her voice broke.

* * *

When the Hand Demon deteriorated from Tanjiro's hands, he let his arms fall to his sides. Off in the misty distance, he sees all Urokodaki's apprentices that perished.

"_Sabito, Makomo… and everyone else who were killed… I won. You can rest easy now. I guess you're going home as promised. Even though you're just souls, you're going back to Mount Sagiri… and to Urokodaki-san whom you love very much… And to Hana… If I'd ended up dead, my soul would have returned there, too." _Tanjiro thought, remembering the security he felt when with his mentor and the warmth he experienced with Hana.

* * *

"Giyu is somewhere out there. Slaying demons. He became a pillar a while back, which I didn't even know until I forced Urokodaki-san to tell me. He's doing well… And Sabito—" Her sobs racked her shoulders harder.

"Sabito— Sabito is gone," the last word was above a whisper. Hana brought her haori sleeves up to her face, wiping away the tears. "He's gone but Giyu lives. I should be thankful already but couldn't they both have lived? Is that too selfish for me to ask?" She screamed at the sky as if her voice could reach whatever god was up there.

"When I finally thought that I could be truly happy with them — with him, it was gone the next thing I knew it. He was gone. They were gone. And I couldn't do anything about it," she drew in a sharp breath. "I couldn't even tell him… That I loved him."

She wept harder. Harder than when she first found out. "I loved him… I loved you, Sabito." She announced to the open bitter air. That he might hear. "I still love you. I never stopped. Not a second. At the beginning, I thought that if I could maybe hate you, it might hurt less. But I couldn't. I can never. So I lived the last years, half empty. Continuing only because I knew you would want me to… Everyone back at home is okay. Uncle Daisuke and Obaasan are both healthy. They were concerned of course. I wasn't going out of my room or the house. They kept saying that time will heal me— that it would heal the gaping hole in my heart. But all it did was scar over. It is still there. After all these years," She chuckled through the tears.

"Everyone saw that I _was getting better _but they don't know how scarred I am. How lonely I was. But they tried to _fix me. _They thought that _someone_ should fix me. They set it up with the Nakodo and we went through how many men. But last winter they found a suitable match. His name is Hiro. He is from another town. The son of a doctor…. He's four years older than me. He's really nice and promised me a comfortable life. We're getting married in three months. But…."

Hana sniffled and drew in a breath. "But, he isn't you. It doesn't feel right for me. And I'm sure that it never will but… what should I do? What should I do, Sabito?"

* * *

Sabito lingered by the tree behind her, hearing everything that she had said. His heart twisted from the thought of having to leave her alone. And from the mutual thoughts of their future together. But, he was free. And she should be too.

_Knock, knock._

Hana gasped. She whirled around at the familiar sound but instead of seeing the familiar sight of Sabito, she was met with snow.

_But that was enough, _Hana sobbed and wrapped her arms around herself. "Thank you, Sabito… I miss you so so much. Thank you." She pulled herself from the freezing group with her head held high.

She was going to make her own fate and spend her life helping others. She left the field of memories with confidence and happiness, knowing that he was right behind her.

_A flower bloomed underneath Hana's tree. A blue flower that holds her tears and memories of love for Sabito. _


	5. Chapter 4 - Iris アヤメ

**Author's note: I don't own Kimetsu no Yaiba nor its characters.**

* * *

_**Irises symbolise good news, glad tidings, and loyalty.**_

"I haven't seen you in a while."

Giyu lifted his gaze from the slash across smooth facade of the stone. Hana stood among the circle of graves. Her hair had grown long. Black mid-back locks pulled back in a loose ponytail. Her skin was paler compared to before as if she has not been out of the house for years but it radiated health and happiness. At 21, Hana has grown a couple inches taller. Her light purple kimono now had white flowers printed on it. A white haori hung over her frame. In her scarred hand peeking over her sleeves, she delicately held a white flower crown while at the crook of her elbow was her usual brown wicker basket filled with flowers.

"These are for him," she said as she passed Giyu and laid the crown on the stone. She lightly brushed her hands over the diagonal slash marring the surface of the stone. "Sabito and I didn't know when you would come back."

Giyu stared at Hana's back then shifted his gaze to the stone. He remained quiet which she respond, "I met Tanjiro. I received a letter Urokodaki-san one night explaining that he took another child and his sister into his care under your specific request. After all these years, Urokodaki-san was training another to become a Demon Slayer for a couple weeks. When the first daylight broke, I headed to him and tried to help Nezuko wake up… patched up Tanjiro's injuries…." Her voice hitched. "He's a lot like _him._"

Hana smiled fondly at the gravestone. Silence hung over the two. "I'm sure that you know that he passed, injured but safe. When I saw him during the morning he came back home laughing with his _awake _sister, I ran to them and hugged them. The relief of seeing them okay lifted a huge weight off my chest." She let out a half laugh that equally sounded like a sob.

"A crow. A letter. Dropping by when you're in the area— Giyu," her voice cracked. "Anything to tell me you were _okay— _that you were _alive." _A knot grew in Giyu's chest when he heard her hiccups and sniffles. His gaze met the ground. Guilt building pressure on his shoulders. For what was like centuries of listening to her cry, Giyu opened his mouth.

"It would have been better if _I—" _Hana swirled around quickly, cutting him off.

"Don't," she snapped. "Never say what you're going to say." Giyu's eyes remained on the ground.

"It's tru-"

"No!" She exclaimed furiously. Giyu lifted his gaze to her. Angry tears streamed down her face as fire lit her eyes. "It's not true. Giyu, you came back to me."

"But, I couldn't save Sabito. I'm sorry," Giyu finished. His chest tightened when his only living best friend's eyes softened with sadness. Giyu clenched his fists. She really was counting on him to help Sabito but he couldn't. He couldn't because of his own weakness.

"Giyu," Hana started. She sniffled as the tears slowed. "You came back to me. Sabito couldn't but _you did. _You didn't leave me alone here. You came back to me so _please _never say sorry that you're here with me now…. Sabito would give his life for yours over and over again and he knew that you would do the same so _please—" _Her voice cracked.

Giyu felt something drip from his chin. He pressed two fingers to his cheek and felt wetness. It had been years since he has shed a tear but it must have been with his best friends again that made him like this.

Hana pulled him into her arms as she sobbed as well. She soothed his black hair with scarred hands. "I miss Sabito. Everyday. I miss hearing his voice and laugh too. But I miss you just as much but you're here. I can be able to hear you so please just let me."

Giyu wrapped his own arms around her, pressing his face into her shoulder. He nodded softy. He felt so safe. His sister's arms felt like this. It's been a while since he has been with someone he loved. And he was with two of them.

When he was walking back, Giyu told her how he came across Tanjiro and Nezuko and his adventures. And in return, she gave him hers.

"I'm planning to go into the city to look for an apprenticeship with a doctor." Hana gazed up at the clouds that swirled with a twinge of sunset orange. "It was as if Sabito heard me. I heard two knocks while I was at the field. He was going to be behind me with whatever decision I will make." Giyu watched a calm and serene expression resided on her face.

"So please visit. I want to be in your life and I want you in mine."

* * *

**Hello everyone! Happy holidays! Thank you all for making it this far into this story. As for the last chapter of this storyline, I chose to end it with Hana and Giyu talking. I wanted you all to see the aftermath of the loss of Sabito and how as you grow older somethings really change but it doesn't have to be so sad.**

**I created this story with the thought of "what if?" **

"**What if we got to see Sabito more?"**

"**What if we can experience Sabito in a more lively (no pun intended) and normal setting? Like where we get to see him like a normal child? A normal person of experiencing joy, loss, embarrassment, and love? Not just the innocence of first love but love of a friend." **

**Hanako Sasaki was an original character of my own making. One who is also scarred but tries to show the beauty of life to others although sometimes she struggles to see it as well. And I hope that you all enjoyed it. :)**

**BUT, THIS IS NOT THE END!**

**I will be posting some time in the future more chapters that delve more on the "what ifs." Such as an AU that Sabito is alive and made it as a Demon Slayer. It will take off after the third chapter - **_**Ch 3- Red Camellia/ Tsubaki **__**椿**__**. (They will all be 21.)**_

**As I am in the progress of writing another fanfiction (not Demon Slayer but a Legend of Korra Iroh II x OC and continuing to write Gravity), I still have no idea when I will post it so please just be patient with me :) **

**Have a great holiday season!**


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